How Kentucky and Louisville match up — with a game prediction
How Kentucky (6-5, 3-5 SEC) and Louisville (7-4, 5-3 ACC) match up at each position — with a game prediction:
Quarterbacks
In Lynn Bowden’s six starts since moving from slot receiver to quarterback, the junior from Youngstown, Ohio, has run for 860 yards and seven touchdowns and Kentucky has gone 4-2. As a passer, the 6-foot-1, 206-pound Bowden has been more miss than hit (25-of-56 for 197 yards as the QB starter). A season ago, Bowden torched Louisville at receiver, catching six passes for 86 yards and two TDs in UK’s 56-10 road win. Louisville’s Micale (nee Malik) Cunningham has emerged as a standout in his redshirt sophomore season. The 6-1, 192-pound product of Montgomery, Ala., is completing 62.1% of his passes and has thrown for 19 TDs vs. only four interceptions. In U of L’s 56-34 victory over Syracuse last week, Cunningham threw for five scores and also ran for a TD. He scored U of L’s only touchdown in last year’s loss to UK on an electric, 75-yard run.
Advantage: Even
Running backs
Kentucky junior A.J. Rose bounced back from losing a fumble at Vanderbilt to run for 105 yards and a TD in last week’s 50-6 win over Tennessee Martin. Rose (724 yards, five TDs) plus redshirt freshmen Kavosiey Smoke (534 yards, six TDs) and Christopher Rodriguez (390 yards, four TDs) give UK a three-headed rotation. Last year vs. U of L, Rose had a 75-yard TD run and Smoke scored from 37 yards. Louisville’s Javian Hawkins has played at a star level as a redshirt freshman. The 5-9, 182-pound product of Titusville, Fla., has run for 1,278 yards and seven TDs. Hawkins incinerated Syracuse, running for 233 yards on 23 carries. Sophomore Hassan Hall (468 yards, five TDs) is also capable.
Advantage: Louisville
Wide receivers
Kentucky senior Ahmad Wagner (15 catches, 294 yards, two TDs) had the only reception for a UK wideout last week (it went for 9 yards). The former Iowa Hawkeyes basketball player is one of 11 UK seniors playing for the final time at Kroger Field. Louisville slot receiver Tutu Atwell (57 catches, 1,072 yards, 11 TDs) is a big play waiting to happen. The 5-9, 153-pound sophomore from Miami lit up Syracuse with five catches for 152 yards and two TDs. Redshirt junior Dez Fitzpatrick (30 catches, 562 yards, six TDs) caught a TD pass in U of L’s 44-17 win at UK two seasons ago.
Advantage: Louisville
Tight ends
With Kentucky limited in its passing game, Justin Rigg (10 catches, 112 yards) and Keaton Upshaw (seven catches, 78 yards, one TD) are making their primary contributions as blockers. Louisville H-back Marshon Ford, a former Ballard High School basketball player, has been a pleasant surprise in Scott Satterfield’s first season as head coach. The 6-2, 226-pound redshirt freshman has 17 catches for 239 yards and five TDs. Graduate transfer Ean Pfeifer, a former Vanderbilt offensive lineman, has two catches this season — both for touchdowns.
Advantage: Louisville
Offensive line
Kentucky senior left guard Logan Stenberg and backup right right guard Mason Wolfe, a Henderson County product, will play their final home games. The 6-6, 321-pound Stenberg has made 37 straight starts and his physicality helped the UK program find an offensive identity. “If you are running the football, you better be physical and tough inside,” Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops says. “Logan has meant an awful lot to us.” Louisville left tackle Mekhi Becton, a 6-7, 369-pound behemoth, is the anchor of a Cardinals’ offensive front that has exceeded preseason expectations.
Advantage: Kentucky
Defensive line
Kentucky senior tackle Calvin Taylor (30 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles) and senior end T.J. Carter (20 tackles, four TFL, two sacks) were both under-the-radar recruits who developed into SEC-caliber starters. Louisville end Amonte Caban can be disruptive; he has 5.5 TFL and five QB hurries.
Advantage: Kentucky
Linebackers
After a challenging senior year, UK MLB Kash Daniel, the Paintsville product, will play at Kroger Field for the final time. “The young man gives us everything he’s got all the time,” Mark Stoops says. “We love him.” U of L’s linebacking corps is smallish, but plays down hill. WLB C.J. Avery, 5-11, 221 pounds, leads the Cards in tackles (77). His backup, Monty Montgomery, 5-11, 214 pounds, leads U of L in sacks (5). OLB Rodjay Burns, 6-foot, 197 pounds, has 72 tackles with a team-high nine TFL.
Advantage: Kentucky
Defensive backs
Kentucky senior strong safety/nickle back Jordan Griffin has supplied veteran moxie to a young UK secondary that has been a pleasant surprise. “I’m proud of him. He’s had a lot to do,” Mark Stoops says. Louisville strong safety Russ Yeast, the son of former UK star Craig Yeast, has 61 tackles, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles. However, Scott Satterfield said Monday Yeast will miss Saturday’s game due to a knee injury. In Yeast’s absence, ex-Lexington Catholic standout Jack Fagot could get additional reps.
Advantage: Kentucky
Special teams
Kentucky’s Max Duffy (48.9 yards a kick, 23-of-45 punts stopped inside the 20) is a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, signifying the nation’s top punter. UK place-kicking remains an adventure: Chance Poore and Matt Ruffolo have combined to miss four PATs in the past four games. Louisville lost veteran PK Blanton Creque (8-of-11 FGs) to a torn ACL suffered during the Cards’ 28-21 win over Virginia on Oct. 26. His replacement, redshirt sophomore Ryan Chalifoux, missed his only field goal attempt, from 44 yards, vs. North Carolina State. However, Chalifoux threw a 7-yard TD pass vs. the Wolfpack on a fake field goal. Punter Mason King (42.2 yards average, 13-of-48 inside the 20) is solid. Kickoff returner Hassan Hall is third in the country (34.2 yards average) and had a 100-yard kickoff return TD vs. Wake Forest.
Advantage: Even
Prediction
Kentucky 27, Louisville 24
